The Caretaker's Childhood
by Fancy-Hart
Summary: Written for Y5 House Competition. Prompt: [Character] Argus Filch Additional Requirement: Standards must be written in the past as a backstory or origin story, rather than a flashback. Theme: Forgotten Heroes


Team: Eagles

Class: Potions,

Story: Standard

Prompt: [Backstory] Argus Filch

Word Count: 1083

He was born in the 1940s to a muggle mother and a Wizard father. The name "Argus" sounded rich, and upper class to his mother who had come from a working class York, although it had caused a few jokes at his expense, when in '72 the popular shopping empire of a similar name was founded. His mother had been a fan of Greek myths and they had granted her a passport to escape the poor life she detested as a child, and enter into kingdoms she thought she deserved. She spent a lot of years telling him how he was named for the one hundred eyed giant, that watched for dangers that would prey upon the princesses. Upon discovering he was born without magic, the knowledge that his name sake was a watcher, a protector, allowed him to more easily swallow the grief that was thrust upon him. When he started making enemies in school due to his tattle tales, and snitching on the other kids - his mother gently reminded him that he was named for a hero and he best not forget. His father, in an attempt to make his son less unlikable, would remind him that his surname was slang for stealing - and that all boys his age had a five fingered discount from the tuck shop once in a while - it was a sort of rite of passage. But Argus wouldn't _couldn't _he was a watcher, not a doer.

In 1968, when he had enough of the fools and imbeciles that filled his high school halls, he decided to do what he was best at - he became a watcher (the official title was caretaker) of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taking over from the late Mr Pringle. It was a few months into his new role when he noticed a small kitten that seemed to be abandoned by its mother, under the bushes at the edge of the grounds. As he watched it, and its intense stare at everything that moved, he noticed how its beady eyes seemed to take in everything and he realised he had found his second in command. He named her for his favourite character in the Jane Austen book he had been forced to read whilst in school.

Argus was the only one to stay within the school throughout the whole year. It gave him a chance to learn every nook and cranny of the place. He confidently knew more secret passages than the Weasley twins and The Marauders combined which was handy seeing as, although he did confiscate the map from the group of Gryffindors that always seemed up to something in 1978, being a squib he was unable to make it work and so stored it in his Dangerous Things box. Only to have some low life student enter his personal office and rifle through his things, while he was informing Professor Snape of the dark ice that he and Mrs Norris had stumbled upon. Damn menaces, he detested the lot of them, they reminded him too much of his own classmates, dirty thieves and trouble makers they were. And Peeves the blasted ghost, it was probably he that had broken into Filch's office. Although, he never did work out who had brought the piece of paper back again, he was sure it was the ginger twins that once again removed it from his office. Filch was proud of the fact that by the end of the 70s, he had already filled at least one thousand and fifty-six boxes with punishment records.

As much as Filch loathed the students though, it was what they did to poor Mrs Norris that really made him seethe. The horror he had felt when he came upon his poor cat, strung up by her tail - looking dead beside the ghastly red writing, he was murderous. Fortunately Dumbeldore had been able to bring her back again. If that were not the case, someone would have had to pay.

In 1995 when Miss Umbridge entered the school, it was like a breath of fresh air for Argus - finally someone who paid attention to the rules! This was someone he could support, and get behind. And she loved rules nearly as much as he did. Even if she did look like the medicine his father had swallowed when he had gas. Such a particular shade of pink.

His proudest moment was probably in 1998, when, as the battle of Hogwarts raged on, he helped some of the younger students escape. He had been a watcher all his life, but finally he was being given the chance to protect. He knew that realistically he was unable to actually do anything - even the bloody first years were of more use than he. But he had been preparing for this moment his whole life. He could see far enough ahead to know where the dangers lay and noticed enough to know when there may be nefarious tricks or secret traps. Having the greatest knowledge of the secret tunnels and passageways was what really made him the best for this job. He may be a lowly squib, but nobody was able to move around the castle grounds like he.

Months later, when the battle had been won, the dead buried and much of the castle repaired; life for Argus Filch and many others continued as it had before that night. He was not unchanged, indeed nobody who had been present at the battle was, and they had lost many good people. Every day the Daily Prophet seemed to mention a new Hero, a new Order of Merlin to be dedicated to, Dumbeldore would have been proud of his ex-students had the insane idiot been around to watch. Severus Snape - finally received his long due award, Sirius Black was rewarded and Pettigrew's removed. Nymphadora and Remus both were given awards, along with Minerva McGonagall. Every newspaper article that appeared about that night and those that had partaken, he clipped and saved. He had stopped wondering if they would ever remember an insignificant squib such as himself in regards to one of magic's most important nights in history. No Order of Merlin for him - not even name mentioned in the paper. He wouldn't let himself be upset by this. He was a watcher after all - someone that needed to hide in the shadows in order to protect those that needed it. And if that meant he had to be forgotten - well so be it.


End file.
